Related

VANCOUVER — Paragon Gaming Corp. is taking another run at moving its Edgewater Casino into a $535-million redevelopment of BC Place lands by playing up the concept of an entertainment-focused urban resort and playing down gambling.

Paragon’s attempt to open a destination casino at the site was shot down in 2011 after a strong, grassroots campaign against its proposal for a 1,500-slot-machine and 150-table mega-casino.

Now Paragon is promising it has no plans to expand gambling operations but would relocate Edgewater at its existing size. That would bring it within limits of the rezoning approved by Vancouver city council in 2011 to block the mega-casino.

The new proposal calls for a total 675,000 square feet including the casino, stores, 40,000 square feet of conference space and two Marriott-branded hotels.

“The previous project was a destination casino,” Paragon vice-president John Cahill said Tuesday. “We’ve heard clearly from city council that that is not to be here.”

While the 2011 proposal hinged on the expanded casino, Paragon president Scott Menke said the company is now convinced it can succeed as a sports-entertainment district similar to the L.A. Live complex around Staples Center in Los Angeles. L.A. Live has cinemas, theatres, restaurants and two hotels under Marriott Corp. brands.

“Over a period of time, we’ve seen the great success that BC Place has,” Menke said about the new reliance on links to the BC Lions and Vancouver Whitecaps, along with hospitality and conference services. “When we were (last) going to city council, BC Place wasn’t remodelled yet.”

Paragon has brought in a new financing partner, Dundee Corp., and 360 Vox, a Vancouver-based resort firm in which Dundee is majority shareholder.

The revamped project includes a sleek new design by architectural firm IBI Group with a glass-fronted structure, bookended by the hotel buildings, that almost envelopes the south end of BC Place stadium.

The concept was to respond to the site’s mountain views “and evoke the natural mountain environment in its architectural design,” said IBI Group’s Martin Bruckner.

Bruckner said the design’s intent is to create a new streetscape on Smithe Street that interconnects with the street grid around the stadium that links Yaletown to the south and Chinatown to the north.

Ross McCredie, chief operating officer of 360 Vox, said the hotels would include more than 550 rooms and operate separately under the Marriott’s JW Marriott and Autograph brands. Paragon and 360 Vox are talking to Marriott about operating the hotels.

The Paragon proposal does have to go before the city’s design panel and will require a building permit, but appears not to require a further zoning review, according to Brian Jackson, the City of Vancouver’s general manager of planning.

“I have seen drawings that they (the proponents) showed us and I can confirm that the application is fully in conformance with the zoning,” Jackson said.

Jackson said most applications get to the development permit board stage within 14 weeks, but this proposal is so complex it will take more time and it is not likely that city council will be asked to rule on the application until at least early next year.

Paragon’s intent is to complete construction by 2016.

The development would take place at the same time the Aquilini Group, owner of Rogers Arena, is proceeding with its own three-tower, $300-million mixed-used development next door to BC Place.

Coun. Raymond Louie said he hasn’t seen the Paragon proposal but expects it will meet council’s views.

“My hope is that it meets the design and aspirations that were previously put forward about its quality. The major thing we heard from many of our citizens was that the gaming floor, the amount of gaming, should not be increased,” Louie said.

However, the revised proposal is still opposed by the group that led the campaign against Paragon’s proposal for a mega-casino. Vancouver Not Vegas vowed Tuesday to continue its court fight to force full public hearings.

“This is a totally new project with totally different revenue projections,” said Vancouver Not Vegas spokeswoman Sandy Garossino. “You’ve got a totally different business model, you’ve got a different lease arrangement (with the BC Pavilion Corp., owner of the stadium), there are subsidies every which way.”

In May, Vancouver Not Vegas filed a petition in B.C. Supreme Court against the City of Vancouver to try to force public hearings and Garossino said the group will use information about the revised proposal to continue their argument.

Garossino said she finds it hard to accept the new scheme because Paragon had maintained there was no way to make the development work without expansion of gambling.

Redevelopment of BC Place lands is part of the B.C. Pavilion Corp.’s plan to help pay for the $560-million roof replacement and stadium renovation.

In the initial plan, Paragon was to pay $6 million a year on a 70-year lease. The revised proposal reduces expected payments to $3 million a year.

Garossino said that rankles Vancouver Not Vegas because PavCo is getting less money from the project while Vancouver real estate values have increased since 2009.

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Share

Paragon Gaming offers $535-million resort proposal for BC Place lands

Video

Today's News

Best of Postmedia

Swoop has yet to pick up a single customer, but Canada’s newest ultra-low-cost carrier is already talking about expanding into a market that is just taking off. Launched by WestJet Airlines Ltd., Calgary-based Swoop started booking customers this month for flights that begin this summer connecting five Canadian cities. It is offering discounted fares on […]

Director Ryan Coogler admits he was surprised by the initial feedback he got from the bigwigs at Marvel Studios when he began sharing his vision for its next franchise, Black Panther. After all, he was set to make a $200-million epic blockbuster; a popcorn movie that mixed dazzling special effects, heart-stopping action sequences and sprawling […]

At the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Mary Ormsby of the Toronto Star took one look at the fit, spandex-laden forms of the cross-country skiers and declared: “I have found my new sport.” Ormsby wasn’t a typical out-of-shape scribe. She had been an all-American volleyball player at Ohio State, so knew athletics from both sides. […]

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.